22nd February, 2023.
Hitchhiking in India.
While I am still walking outside Chandigarh, Mukesh and Rahul stop their car and tell me they can drive me to Ambala. When I am getting in the car, they also invite another lady who is walking towards the same direction, she is a teacher also going to Ambala. How lucky of her!
When I tell the guys about my travels they get really surprised. They are very sweet and offer to help me with what ever I need. Mukesh insists on giving me some money, but I kindly refuse. He then offers me his food, which was lovely homemade prepared by his wife: some sabzi and chapati! How generous! It is something so beautiful to offer your own food to somebody else. I am touched! And he also gives me some water! Rahul gives me his delicious papaya slices.
They stop on the bypass of Ambala and Mukesh carry on his journey. Rahul will take another lift, this time with a close friend of his, and they can drive me a bit further, into the exit to Jaisalmer.
When Rahul’s friend arrives, Rahul’s immediately opens the door of the car, without first asking if I can come in. So, I tell him that we should ask first, to what Rahul responds: “No, it’s OK! He is a very good person!” And indeed, the friend is also a very kind and gentle man.
On my next hitchhiking spot, it only takes a few minutes to Vram stop his car. He is going only to Kaithal but I take it anyway. Vram is a very calm and nice man. We take two shortcuts on our way, getting out of the highway because of the tool. Even though the secondary road is pretty bad, it is also very beautiful, with trees all alongside the road. I share my papaya slices with Vram.
The next car to stop is also driven by a lovely young man, a Sikh by the name Hardit. At some point, he is stopped by a police control (perhaps he was speeding? Although I don’t think so…) and gives them some money so they let him go. We drive until half way to Hisar, which is not bad.
While I am waiting for the next lift, some ladies pass by sweeping the dust alongside the road. A curious fact for me actually because, will not the roads be cover in dust again soon? Perhaps these ladies’ effort could be put in better use for something else? Funny fact: when some young guys and some men keep coming and asking me questions, one of the cleaning ladies offer me her broom, to “sweep” the annoying men, as a way to keep them away from me. That was cute!
A car with two men, an elderly one and his son, who is driving, stops. The driver seems quite serious and even though I am quite sure he said they were going to Hisar, after some 20 Km only, he stops and says that here is where I have to get out. Suspicious.
It is a crossroads and there is a small tea house by the road. After coming and questioning me about what I am doing, a guy from the tea house brings me a tea and mathi (Rajasthani fried snacks). How kind! There are a few men sitting by the tea house and I ask them to keep an eye on my backpacks while I go behind the building to use the toilet.
A car with two men stops and insists on helping me in somehow. They are going to a wedding nearby but are quite worried about me. It is cute until certain point but they also need to understand and respect my will when I, repeatedly, say it’s OK and that I am fine. I know I am not a princess in dangerous. Anyway, after a lot of talking, they give me their phone numbers, water and two small packs of snacks.
My next lift is quite cinematographic. Just like coming out of one of Aamir Khan’s most amazing films, 3 Idiots, three lovely and kind young man stop for me. Rakesh, Pradeep and Karan are engineering students, and are also very sweet guys. They get extremely surprised about my journey and actually think I am an alien or something. Which for me is a compliment, of course. We make a stop for tea and they even ask me to come and stay with them overnight, in one of their family houses, so I could meet their relatives too. Unfortunately, I cannot accept because I am still quite far from my destination, Jaisalmer, so I must keep moving. But we have a lovely time together, the guys are super funny and I have a blast with them.
They drop me off at the bypass of Hisar. Before leaving, Rakesh tells me that in two hours he will come back here and check if I am still waiting for a lift, in which case, I can come then and stay with them. How sweet!
But in about five minutes somebody else stops. Sonita and her husband are working with women empowerment and they are happy to help me out. They are not going very far but they call their “team” (a group of three men, two being very young) to drive me to Taranagar.
We make a quick stop and the guys get us some sodas and chips. At this point we meet Sonita and her husband again, but just for a quick photo.
To be continued…
10 Years Around the World 